The present invention relates generally to an oscillating pan or chaff pan of an agricultural combine. In particular, the present invention relates to an oscillating pan of an agricultural combine having a flow control guide vane for directing flow along the oscillating pan.
Agricultural combine harvesting machines or harvesters typically discharge crop residue, or processed crop material, from a rear cavity of the harvester. Crop residue is typically generated by two sources. One source is the threshing and separating system, which produces a large volume of crop residue, typically including larger fragments of stalks, stems, cobs, and leaves, often referred to as straw or straw residue. The other source is the cleaning system, which produces a much lower volume of smaller elements of crop residue, such as pod and husk fragments, and particulates, commonly referred to as chaff or chaff residue. Both sources are typically propelled rearwardly through the rear cavity of the harvesting machine, and discharged through a rear opening in some manner.
Rotary residue spreaders typically include counter rotating disks or impellers for receiving all or part of the processed crop material or residue from the rear cavity of a combine harvester and spreading the material in a generally even side to side manner behind the harvester. In some styles of spreaders, known generally as vertical spreaders, the impellers are oriented generally vertically or at a small acute angle relative to vertical, so as to rotate about a horizontal or near horizontal rotational axis. In other spreaders, known generally as horizontal spreaders, the disks are oriented generally horizontally, for rotation about upstanding or vertical rotational axes.
In operation, the spreaders are designed to spread grain/chaff from the combine's cleaning system. However, in typical use, spreading via conventional spreaders has often resulted in a poor spread with grain loss concentrated within a single band along a path of travel of the combine. Poor spread results, in part, as conventional chaff pans fail to adequately deliver chaff/grain to the combine's spreader. As a result, the grain discharged from the combine will subsequently sprout and give the appearance of poor combine operating conditions.
Thus, there is still a need for a combine with a spreader/discharge system capable of increasing or maximizing spreading of free grain and/or chaff from the combine. Such a need is satisfied by the chaff pan of the present invention.